


Family Names

by Katherine



Category: The Lion King (2019)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 20:24:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20954393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: Nala wasn't feeling particularly flexible herself, late in pregnancy, bulky with the coming cubs.





	Family Names

Warthogs were not built to wriggle, but Pumbaa was doing a job of it, sort of swaying back and forth in excitement. He had his front legs folded under him. That pose was the compromise he had come up with, between the informality the lions preferred and Pumbaa's own idea that there should be groveling at royalty. No matter that he and Timon both had a favoured place in what he liked to call the court.

Nala wasn't feeling particularly flexible herself, late in pregnancy, bulky with the coming cubs.

"Little lions!" Pumbaa said, then, even more joyfully, "Little lions from my little lion. Can we name one Fred?"

"Simba will choose the name," Nala said, diplomatic. He would, at any rate, with Nala's own input, and likely more from each of their mothers should there be a girl.

"I like the name Fred," Pumbaa said.

Nala answered with only a vague attentive noise, a tactic she had learned from observing Sarabi. Listen to your subjects, that was necessary, and be noticed listening. As if conjured, Sarabi drifted past behind Pumbaa, moving near silently through the grass, and tilting her head in wordless question. Nala flicked her ear in answer; no, she didn't feel in need of rescuing from Pumbaa's chatter.

"Kept suggesting it," Pumbaa was confiding. "But the guinea fowls like long names for their chicks. The antelope parents all had family names ready, they said. I thought they might want a suggestion from someone else on hooves."

Nala tried to keep her mind from drifting to a herd of plump antelope or, worse yet, a sounder of chubby warthogs. There were so many meals on hooves, ones she used to slaver hungrily at the memories of.

"Simba had a name already," Pumbaa continued. "If he wanted a new one I'd have suggested—"

"Fred," Nala filled in, fondly amused. Pumbaa was, if a little over talkative, good company, and worth never getting to taste warthog again. He too was part of Simba's family, and would be in some way a relative to their cubs.


End file.
